Nebraska Genealogy Events - February 2012

My Genealogy Events in Nebraska page has been updated as of January 27, 2012. Included in the new listing are classes at the Family History Library in Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as the Family History Expo in Kearney on September 7 - 8, 2012, and the fall conference sponsored by the Lincoln-Lancaster Genealogical Society and Southeast Community College on October 12 - 13, 2012 in Lincoln.

If you have a Nebraska genealogy event to add, please email me. I also invite you to hang out with the Nebraska Genea-Peeps group on Facebook, where we share information about Nebraska events and resources.

Date & Location	Description
January 28 – March 3, 2012 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Home Economics Building University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus 1650 N. 35th St Room 121 Lincoln, NE	Climbing Your Family Tree: How To Get Started With Your Family History Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI) Presented by Phyllis Erickson and Rayma Shrader Contact Judi Cook for more information.
February 3, 2012 Family History Center 11027 Martha St Omaha, NE	GO-PAF Meeting Program to be announced
February 12, 2012 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Walt Branch Library 6701 S. 14th St Lincoln, NE	Lincoln Lancaster County Genealogical Society monthly program: Ethnic Dances and Clues to Ancestry Presented by Eva Bachman and Folk Dancers Enjoy the fun and tradition of folk dances as you learn about clues to ethnic ancestry in music, lyrics, colors, clothing designs and portrayals of historic events.
February 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. Crown Pointe Retirement Center 2820 S. 80th St Omaha, NE	Greater Omaha Genealogical Society meeting: George Custer’s 24 Hours in Omaha; presented by Jeff Barnes, author of The Great Plains Guide to Custer.
February 18, 2012 9:00 a.m. – Noon Mormon Trail Center 3215 State St Omaha, NE	Greater Omaha Genealogical Society free class: Vital Records for the Vital Events of Their Lives: Birth, Marriage and Death Records.

Family History Expos coming to Kearney, Nebraska

The Midwest Family History Expo for 2012 will be held September 7 - 8, 2012 in Kearney, Nebraska.

Great Platte River Road Archway Museum, Kearney, NE
copyright 2003-2012 Susan Petersen

It will be at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 110 South Second Avenue.

While visiting Kearney, be sure to include time to visit the Great Platte River Road Archway Museum - which just happens to be located ACROSS Interstate 80.

Early Bird Registration (by August 14) is only $39.

For more information, visit Family History Expos.

Hope to see you there!

Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society unveils new web site

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society (LLCGS) web site has had a makeover this month!

Under the direction of webmaster Al Harlow, the new site was revealed in early January.

My favorite feature for searching my Lancaster county ancestors and other family members remains the outstanding database of marriages and cemetery information. Soon to be added will be the Naturalization database.

LLCGS also has a page on Facebook. Up-to-the-minute information about upcoming meetings and events is posted on the Society's Facebook page as well as on the web site.

This is a very active genealogy society and I'm very pleased that "we" are expanding our social media presence on the internet. As publicity chair for 2012, I'm looking forward to getting our information disseminated to the public and genealogists not only by traditional media, and now by Facebook, and soon, Google Plus and our society blog. It looks to be an exciting year.

Disclaimer: I serve as the publicity chair for LLCGS for 2012.

Follow the Stars of Who Do You Think You Are

If you want to learn a little bit more about the subjects of Who Do You Think You Are (Season 3) and Finding Your Roots, here's some web sites and social networking locations where you can follow the celebrities.

Reba McEntire

• Reba.com - official site
• Facebook - official
• Twitter - official @reba

Rob Lowe

• Rob Lowe - official site
• Twitter - official @roblowe
• Facebook - official
• Fan Club site - official

Helen Hunt

• Twitter - official @HelenHunt

Rita Wilson

• Twitter - official @ritawilson

Blair Underwood

• Twitter - official @blairunderwood
• Facebook - official page

Marisa Tomei

• Twitter - official @marisatomei

Kevin Bacon

• Twitter - official @kevinbacon

Kyra Sedgwick

• Twitter - official @kyrasedgwick

Paula Deen

• PaulaDeen.com - official site
• Twitter - official @paula_deen
• Facebook - official

Barbara Walters

• Twitter - official @barbarajwalters
• Facebook - official page
• The View - ABC

Robert Downey, Jr.

• Downey Unlimited - fan site
• Internet Movie Database

Branford Marsalis

• Branford Marsalis - official site
• Facebook - official
• Twitter - official record label @marsalismusic

John Legend

• Twitter - official @johnlegend
• JohnLegend.com - official site
• Facebook - official
• Google Plus - official

Martha Stewart

• Facebook - official @marthastewart
• MarthaStewart.com - official web site
• Google Plus - official
• Facebook - official

Rick Warren

• RickWarren.com - official web site
• Twitter - official @rickwarren
• Facebook - official

Jason Sudeikis

• Internet Movie Database

Jerome Bettis

• Official Web Site
• Facebook - official
• Twitter - official

Martin Sheen

• MartinSheen.net - unofficial
• Internet Movie Database

Edie Falco

• Internet Movie Database

Rashida Jones

• RashidaJonesWeb - fan site
• Internet Movie Database

If you have a link to add, please post in the Comments section below and I'll keep the links updated.

Other Ways to Honor Your Ancestors

Many of us spend quite a bit of our family history research time tracking down obituaries, death certificates and  walking through cemeteries. Perhaps your ancestors lived and died hundreds or thousands of miles away from where you live. Maybe they don't have a grave marker. There are other ways you can honor their memory without erecting a tombstone.

A few years ago, one of my favorite arts organizations, Friends of the Lied (supporters of the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska) sponsored a fundraising activity where patrons could purchase a commemorative brick which would then be placed on the grounds of the Lied Center. It was a tax deductible charitable contribution.

Maybe it was my ego, maybe I thought I would disappear into oblivion after my demise - whatever the reason at the time, I decided to contribute and purchased a brick. The inscription was just to denote the year of my graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It seemed appropriate since the Lied Center is housed on the University campus.

I've heard from a few genealogists who have done something similar to honor their parents, grandparents or other family member. It's especially nice if the location or organization is a good match for one of your ancestor's favorite interests or charities. And it helps out a worthwhile cause at the same time.

With some of the horror stories we keep reading about the destruction and vandalism of cemeteries, this might be an inexpensive way for families to still have something concrete (pardon the pun) that will honor their life.

If you have done something similar, I'd like to hear about it. Please leave a comment below.